This invention relates to a tool bar assembly for advancing a cutting bit into a workpiece, and, more particularly to such an assembly for use with a lathe for resurfacing brake drums and disc brake rotors.
Tool assemblies for servicing the brakes on vehicles for resurfacing, in the case of disc brakes, both sides of the rotor to maintain parallelism between the surfaces, and, in the case of drum brakes, to turn the inner surface of the drum so as to maintain a brake surface concentric with the drum rotational axis, are known and have been widely used in the art. Such assemblies are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,828 which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. These tool assemblies generally comprise a bar having a depth-of-cut mechanism at one end thereof and a cutting bit mounting at the other end thereof. The bar is fixedly mounted to a moving member of the lathe so that the cutting bit of the tool assembly can be advanced along the disc brake rotor, or a drum, which is rotatably mounted on the lathe. These tool assemblies have the disadvantage that they generally are dedicated for only one of either right-hand or left-hand use in both the drum turning and rotor facing applications. Thus, the dedicated tool assemblies are not reversible so as to provide alternate tool assembly positions.
These and other disadvantages are overcome by the present invention wherein there is provided a tool assembly having a symmetrical cutting tip holder wherein by revolving the tool bar or body by 180 degrees, the tool assembly can be used both as a right-hand or a left-hand tool assembly.